Chapter 21 A Trap
Anna’s POV
“Is that Zack?” I asked, my eyes fixed on the massive, muscular man who had just entered the casino floor.
The atmosphere shifted the second he stepped in.
Men who had been lounging carelessly straightened. Dealers grew sharper.
Even the guards adjusted their stance with subtle respect.
Lucas followed my gaze and exhaled.
“No,” he said quietly. “That’s not Zack. That’s Zack’s bodyguard.”
I blinked. Relief and tension collided inside me.
“Which means Zack is around,” I said.
Lucas’s jaw tightened slightly. “I don’t think he’s in here.”
I watched the bodyguard move through the room like he owned it, nodding at some men, ignoring others. He didn’t smile. Didn’t linger.
“I’d wager he’s here,” I murmured. “But we can’t just keep standing here. What do we do?”
Lucas didn’t hesitate. “We do nothing, Anna. We came to observe. We don’t draw attention to ourselves.”
Do nothing. That wasn’t how I worked. An idea sparked in my head, reckless, bold, dangerous.
Exactly what we needed.
“I think that’s exactly what we should do,” I said.
Lucas frowned slightly. “Do what?”
“Draw attention.”
Before he could stop me, I moved.
I walked straight toward one of the high-stakes tables where the bodyguard and a few other men were seated.
The men at the table looked up as I approached.
Their expressions were not welcoming.
They were stern, assessing. As if I had wandered into a place I didn’t belong.
“I’d like to place a bet,” I said calmly.
For a second, no one responded.
Then Lucas stepped beside me. The shift was immediate.
The same men who looked ready to dismiss me now nodded slightly. “Have a seat,” one of them said.
Interesting. So Lucas’s presence mattered.
I sat. But they didn’t stop staring.
One of them leaned back in his chair, eyes sliding between me and Lucas. “Is he your man?” he asked bluntly.
I froze for half a second. I heard the question. But I didn’t know how to answer it.
Lucas answered for me. “I’m just her escort.”
My heart skipped, but I didn’t let it show. “Yes,” I added smoothly. “Just an escort.”
The bodyguard smiled. “Then you’re single?”
“That depends on who’s asking,” I replied.
A few of the men exchanged looks.
“What if I’m asking?” the bodyguard said.
I met his eyes evenly. “If you’re asking, then I’m afraid I’d say I’m not single.” I paused deliberately. “But if Zack is asking, I’d say I am.”
Silence followed, then— Laughter burst around the table. Genuine laughter.
They found me amusing. “Interesting,” one of them muttered.
“She's very interesting,” the bodyguard agreed.
Cards were distributed. “You should prove yourself,” one of the men said. “Let’s see if your mouth matches your luck.”
Lucas leaned closer and whispered, “It’s best you don’t play. You don’t know this game.”
I ignored him. I picked up the cards. The first round, I observed. The second round, I calculated. The third round— I won.
Not by accident. By reading them. Watching their eyes. Their fingers. Their breathing.
When I placed my cards down and the dealer confirmed it, the table went quiet.
The bodyguard stared at me. “You’ve played before.”
I smiled lightly. “A little.”
Another round. I won again. Now the suspicion crept in.
The bodyguard leaned back in his chair, studying me carefully. “I can take you to Zack,” he said slowly. “He’d be interested in someone like you.”
Lucas leaned toward me instantly. “Don’t agree,” he whispered sharply. “It’s a trap. They suspect we’re spies.”
My heart started racing. But I didn’t let my face change.
I looked back at the bodyguard. “I didn’t plan on seeing Zack tonight,” I said lightly. “Maybe some other time.”
The bodyguard’s expression hardened.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re going with me regardless.”
The laughter was gone. The table went still.
I tilted my head slightly. “You definitely don’t want to take a stranger to Zack considering how many people want him dead.”
His eyes narrowed. “Try me.”
He placed his boots on the table casually. Then, without warning— He pulled out a gun. And pointed it at me.
The world slowed. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
Around us, men stiffened, but no one intervened.
Lucas didn’t move. Didn’t flinch.
His voice was calm. “Put the gun down, Marco. You wouldn’t do anything stupid in here.”
Marco’s eyes snapped toward him. “How do you know my name?”
Lucas’s gaze didn’t waver. “The same way I know you won’t live to see tomorrow if you don’t let us walk out of here in one piece.”
The tension cracked like glass. “Are you threatening me in my own territory?” Marco asked coldly.
“Gentlemen,” I cut in smoothly, forcing calm into my voice. “Let’s relax. Marco, we’re sorry—”
Lucas cut me off instantly. “Don't fucking apologize.”
Marco’s eyes flicked between us. Suspicion rising. “Are you sure he’s just your escort?” Marco asked me. “Or your lover?”
“None of your business,” Lucas said before I could respond. “Anna. We’re leaving.”
He stood. I followed. But I didn’t forget the money.
I reached forward, calmly gathered my winnings, and slipped them into my bag.
Marco watched me. A slow grin spreading. “I’ll be seeing you again,” he said.
I smiled sweetly. “Goodnight.”
Lucas didn’t slow until we were back in the dancing hall.
The music hit us like a wall.
As we walked, I noticed Lucas’s hand brush against one of the armed guards.
A second later—He had the man’s gun.
I blinked. “You took his gun,” I said under my breath.
“Insurance,” Lucas replied. “In case Marco does something funny.”
We reached the elevator. He pressed the button.
My pulse was still elevated, but I kept my breathing steady.
The elevator doors opened. We stepped in. This time it went up.
Back to the polished, normal-looking hotel.
When we exited and stepped outside, night had fallen completely.
Lucas opened the car. “Let’s go get your foster brother,” he said as we got in.
He started the engine and pulled away from the hotel.
After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. “I don’t like that you’re stubborn.”
I glanced at him.
“The instruction was to observe,” he continued. “Not to provoke.”
“I’m sorry,” I said honestly. “I didn’t know it would escalate like that.”
He didn’t respond immediately.
Then I added softly, “Thank you. For not abandoning me.”
His jaw shifted slightly. “It’s fine.”
Silence settled again. I leaned back, exhaling slowly.
Then something caught my attention. In the side mirror. I saw headlights.
“Lucas,” I said quietly.
He glanced at me.
“It appears we’re being followed.”